Friday, December 15, 2017

Heading to Peoria

Bright and early this morning Dave and I were at the Frankfurt airport to catch a flight to Chicago. After an uneventful flight (we like those kind) we landed. And not too long after arrival picked up some friends along the way.

Dan and Laura Hash, our long time best friends and teammates who began Josiah Venture with us 24 years ago, had also flown into Chicago to head down south in Illinois for a special wedding!

A gorgeous sunset, that seemed to last indefinitely, propelled us forward to Peoria, Illinois.

This is the location for the wedding of Noah and Jill...soon to be Ellenwood's!

We gathered with our other best friends, Mel and Amy, and a company of others who have come from long distances to be here for their son's wedding.

It was an evening of the richest kind! Mel's dad prepared an incredible fajita feast with all the fixings...brought all the way from Texas!

Amy's friends and family from this area where she grew up, helped to facilitate this incredible event for family and friends, literally from around the globe, who came in for the rehearsal dinner, held at the church where Noah and Jill will marry tomorrow (which is the church Amy grew up in, and where Jill and her family still attend).

After the delicious feast, a sweet program began, starting with Noah and Jill sharing their incredible story and journey to this day. It's a story that only God could have woven together!

The entire wedding party then gathered around them and shared delightful stories, rich encouragements and words of kindness over them.

This is Tomas, a friend from the Czech Republic who came to be Noah's best man!

And after all those words had been given to them, prayers of blessing were prayed as we gathered around to lift them up to the Lord's guidance and care as they begin their life together.

To hear the prayers of many who have loved and cared about these two throughout their lives choked me up. And when Mel prayed thanking the Lord for this woman for Noah, that he and Amy have prayed for his entire life, I cried. What a tender moment.

Noah and Jill have hearts fully and whole heartedly devoted to following the Lord. And there is a cloud of witnesses right here in Peoria, Illinois who will continue to stand with them in love and support as they begin their journey together.

We are all so excited to see where the Lord leads them! Wherever that is, we know they will be incredible ambassadors for him, making disciples along the way.

Looking forward to tomorrow's big day as they become husband and wife!!!!

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I write Living By Lysa from my window's view of Lysa hora in the Beskydy mountains, to capture our life and ministry in the Czech Republic. We serve here with Josiah Venture, an organization passionate about sharing Jesus with the next generation, and training young leaders to make disciples in Central and Eastern Europe.

Life is made up of small details each day and those are the pieces that make our lives rich, beautiful and meaningful. I enjoy noticing and writing about those details.